If it weren’t for the fact that Xiao Man had to hide in the backpack now, she would definitely go out to see what Xu Yan was up to.
But after that one sentence, Xu Yan fell silent until Han Shuangshuang returned.
Han Shuangshuang apologized for making Xu Yan wait alone, and then heard Xu Yan ask,
“What did the doctor say about her condition?”
Han Shuangshuang paused before replying,
“The doctor said they need to complete all the tests first, and then they’ll have a consultation with specialists to discuss it.”
Xu Yan said, “Tell the doctor to transfer her to a private room. I’ll cover all the medical expenses from now on.”
Han Shuangshuang was stunned.
Her first thought was, if she had known Xu Yan was so generous, she wouldn’t have transferred Xiao Man money earlier!
She wouldn’t refuse on Xiao Man’s behalf-this was what Xiao Man deserved!
The first thing Xiao Man did when she woke up was to save Xu Yan.
Without Xiao Man’s call, they might not have found Xu Yan in time, and who knows what would have happened?
So it was only right for Xu Yan to pay.
Han Shuangshuang nodded,
“Alright, Mr. Xu. Should I send you the bill later for reimbursement?”
Xu Yan glanced at her, “I’ll transfer the money to the hospital account later. If there’s any shortage, let me know. What reimbursement? This is a private matter, not business.”
Han Shuangshuang quickly nodded, “Understood, Mr. Xu!”
Han Shuangshuang was overjoyed.
Xiao Man could stay in a private room, which would be more comfortable, and she could receive the necessary tests and treatments.
She was sure to recover!
After saying this, Xu Yan left.
Han Shuangshuang thought he was gone and sat by Xiao Man’s bedside, holding her slightly cold hand and whispering,
“Xiao Man, something interesting happened in the department today…”
She rambled on, but when she looked up, she saw Xu Yan standing nearby.
She awkwardly explained, “The doctor said talking to Xiao Man might increase her chances of waking up.”
Xu Yan nodded and said, “I’ve already arranged it. The special care room will be available the day after tomorrow, and Xiao Man can move in then.”
He had initially inquired about a private room, but the one at the end of the hallway wasn’t much better.
Considering Xiao Man’s condition, she would likely need long-term hospitalization, so he booked a special care room with better security to prevent her abusive brother from causing trouble at her bedside.
Han Shuangshuang quickly nodded, “Oh, okay!”
Xu Yan added, “Go and register your personal information.”
Han Shuangshuang was puzzled but obediently agreed.
Xu Yan stood for a while, seeing there was nothing else for him to do, so he left.
Before leaving, Han Shuangshuang asked at the nurse’s station and learned that the special care room wasn’t on this floor.
The security there was much stricter, and she needed to register her information to gain access.
Xiao Man, hiding in the backpack, couldn’t help but think,
“May Mr. Xu have a peaceful life!”
Although she didn’t expect any repayment when she risked making that call, who doesn’t like someone who repays kindness?
Han Shuangshuang clearly shared the same sentiment.
When she returned home, she kept praising Xu Yan to Xiao Man.
That evening, Han Shuangshuang took the dog out for a walk for the first time since Xiao Man was injured.
It must be said that Xiao Man, as a dog, had a strong will to live.
The vet even praised her for her quick recovery.
Now she was able to run around energetically.
That night, Xiao Man didn’t sleep well.
She kept feeling as if there were flies buzzing around her ears, but she couldn’t quite make out the sound.
When she woke up the next day, she wasn’t in the best spirits.
Han Shuangshuang, seeing Xiao Man yawn, found it quite novel and took out her phone to take a picture.
Xiao Man saw it but didn’t mind.
It was better than being photographed while peeing!
She wandered around the small rented apartment but couldn’t find any flies or mosquitoes, so she gave up.
Maybe she had just dreamed about flies.
What a strange dream.
On Saturday, Han Shuangshuang didn’t have to work, so she went to the hospital to help Xiao Man move to the new room.
The new special care room was slightly larger than the regular room, with a single bed, a sofa, a TV, and a caregiver’s bed next to it.
Access to this ward required a keycard and facial recognition, and visiting hours were strictly regulated.
The security and privacy were well- protected, making it a quiet place conducive to recovery.
Han Shuangshuang secretly glanced at the price list and silently gasped.
The cost was comparable to a five-star hotel’s negotiated rate, no wonder the conditions were so good.
Han Shuangshuang knew that Xiao Man’s treatment was still in a vague, preliminary stage.
Xiao Teng would definitely come to cause trouble, and who knows what would happen then.
But at least, he would only be able to make a scene with the doctors and nurses, and he wouldn’t be able to barge into the room directly!
After helping to settle everything, Han Shuangshuang bid farewell to Xiao Man and left.
What she didn’t know was that shortly after she left, Xu Yan also arrived.
He registered as the patient’s family member in his capacity as the company representative and donor, allowing him to freely enter her room during visiting hours.
Xiao Man was in a vegetative state and couldn’t eat or drink on her own, so Xu Yan came empty-handed.
After arriving, he pulled up a chair and sat by her bed, finally saying,
“I still can’t figure it out.”
Xu Yan had taken the opportunity to ask the police about the case, but they were also unclear about what had happened to Xiao Man.
Since it didn’t affect the case’s determination, they didn’t dwell on it, saying they would ask her when she woke up.
But while they weren’t concerned, Xu Yan couldn’t let it go.
Such a big mystery was driving him crazy.
Xiao Man lay quietly on the bed, naturally giving no response.
Xu Yan said, “I heard that talking to you might increase your chances of waking up.”
As he spoke, he took out his phone, opened an e-book, and selected the audio playback.
Thus, the book titled “Appearance and Essence: Analogy, the Source of Thought and the Fire of Thinking” began to play in the room through a mechanical female voice.
Xu Yan thought that speaking was also auditory stimulation, so listening to a book wasn’t much different from talking.
It was better than listening to Han Shuangshuang’s boring gossip.
He paused and glanced at the book’s introduction and table of contents…
Hmm, it’s about language, not very interesting.
Oh well, maybe Xiao Man would like it?
He could play different types of books each time, and eventually, one would suit her taste.
Xu Yan played the audiobook for an hour and left when visiting hours ended.
Today’s audiobook gave him a headache.
Next time, he’d choose something more exciting!
That night, Xiao Man didn’t sleep well.
The buzzing sound she had heard the past few days finally became clear, but after understanding the content, she wished she hadn’t.
Words like “analogy,” “concept,” and “semantic field” made her feel drowsy even in her dream.
The mechanical female voice sounded even more eerie in the dream, giving her the sensation of her mind being invaded, like in a sci-fi story.
Fortunately, the dream didn’t last long, and when Xiao Man woke up in the morning, her spirits weren’t too affected.
The dream’s content didn’t fade much after waking, leaving Xiao Man feeling somewhat puzzled.
Since returning to her body once, her dream frequency had increased.
She often heard someone talking to her in her dreams, starting with a buzzing sound, and last night was the first time she could clearly understand what was being said.
She didn’t know what was going on and couldn’t tell anyone, so she had to put it aside and observe slowly.
Today was Sunday.
Han Shuangshuang had made plans with Lin Ci to take both dogs to the pet park.
Dogs need more socialization.
Xiao Man, being a fake dog, didn’t need it, but she couldn’t speak, so she had to go along.
Lin Ci rented a car, and the two of them, along with their two dogs, arrived at the pet park, which was already bustling with people and pets.
Han Shuangshuang exclaimed, “Wow, so many dogs!”
Xiao Man thought, “…”
She had to fend off so many dogs sniffing her.
Could she manage?
In the pet park, some dogs played together in groups, while others were loners.
Some were having a wild time, looking very happy, while others hid in corners, refusing to socialize no matter how much their owners coaxed them, wishing they could burrow into their owners’ arms.
Xiao Man glanced at Han Shuangshuang.
Forget it, she wouldn’t pretend to be socially anxious and burrow into Han Shuangshuang’s arms.
It was too embarrassing!
The sound of barking dogs filled the air.
Xiao Man could hear and smell more information from the barks and scents.
After Han Shuangshuang let her go, she chose an old dog with a familiar scent and walked over to it.
It was an elderly Doberman, well taken care of by its owner.
It showed signs of age but was still in good condition.
Xiao Man had to pretend to socialize to avoid worrying Han Shuangshuang, but she couldn’t actually socialize.
She was annoyed by the rambunctious puppies.
The Doberman sat upright, glanced at Xiao Man, sniffed, probably detecting the same “lazy dog” vibe from her, and then turned its gaze back to the other puppies playing wildly.
Xiao Man lay down, her eyes also fixed on the other puppies.
“Hey, buddy, how long have you been retired? What have you been up to lately?”
“Hey, just retired, not much, just keeping busy! Old buddy, you’re still in great shape. Were you in the military before?”
“Yep!”
“Of course. Now that I’m older, I don’t like moving around much. I just enjoy watching the young ones run around. Youth…”
The above conversation, of course, wasn’t between Xiao Man and the Doberman.
Xiao Man turned around and saw a young girl enthusiastically providing voice overs for her and the Doberman.
Xiao Man thought, “?”
This girl really has too much free time!
The girl, seeing Xiao Man look at her, suddenly exclaimed in delight,
“I know you! You’re Xiao Bai, right?”
After all, such an ugly-cute dog was rare, and being in the same city, it was hard not to notice her if you frequently watched short videos.
After recognizing Xiao Bai, the girl crouched down, one arm around the Doberman, and said to Xiao Bai,
“Xiao Bai, this is my old Yu. You might have to call him grandpa!”
She looked around and asked, “Where’s your sister?”
Xiao Man raised her paw and pointed, letting the girl find herself.
The girl looked up and saw Han Shuangshuang not far away.
Her eyes widened in surprise, “Wow, so the short videos are real! I thought they were all edited. You really understand what I’m saying!”
Xiao Man, as usual, lay lazily on the ground, not wanting to engage.
The girl had already found a reason for Xiao Man’s laziness,
“You were injured recently, it must have been painful. Resting more will help you recover faster.”
The girl was very talkative, and her words came quickly.
Xiao Man occasionally gave her a little response, a bark or a roll of her eyes and even these small reactions made the girl extremely happy, making her talk even more enthusiastically.
While listening to the girl’s chatter, Xiao Man’s eyes glanced toward Han Shuangshuang.
What’s going on with Han Shuangshuang?
Someone is trying to take her dog, and she’s not even coming over?
What’s she talking about with Lin Ci that’s so interesting?
Lin Ci didn’t dare let Huan Huan, who could turn the world upside down, off the leash, but Han Shuangshuang and Lin Ci were chatting so animatedly that Huan Huan was now anxiously circling them, and the leash soon wrapped around both of them.
The two looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.
Xiao Man couldn’t bear to watch and turned her gaze away.
The smell of love was so strong!
The late September sun was just right, warm but not too hot.
Xiao Man felt drowsy and eventually fell asleep amidst the girl’s chatter.
Then, something bumped into her.
Xiao Man jolted awake and saw a poodle darting past her, followed by a Samoyed.
The two dogs ran wildly, bumping into many other dogs.
Some dogs, unlike Xiao Man, weren’t as good-tempered and barked as they charged forward.
Some chased for a while but then gave up.
Soon, the park was in chaos, with owners rushing to break up fights or take sides.
“Hey, buddy.”
“Oh, my old buddy, aren’t you going to chase that little guy who just stepped on your head? You should kick their butts!”
“Don’t bother with the little ones. Besides, I’m old now. If I chased them, they’d just laugh at me. I have to accept my age, my friend.”
“Sigh, back in the day, I could eat ten pizzas in one sitting. Now I’m so old I can’t even chew bones. Youth, it’s left us far behind.”
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